The Earth is Awakening
by MyLittleBirdFlies
Summary: AU Story. With the kingdom and the world on the brink of destruction, Prince Jason, Knights Frank and Reyna, and handmaiden Piper, set off to find a way to save everything they've ever known. Meeting new friends, defeating monsters, and a terrible description that just goes on, can they stop Gaea before it's too late?
1. Prologue: Out of the Castle

**Hello! This story was inspired by a two stories actually, Earth-Dolven on _Archive of our Own_ and a story on this website, Ancient Times- Heroes of Olympus by Oi Opakio. So this is an AU because of the whole alternate universe, magical realm thing. And, yeah. Enjoy, and leave a review if you please!**

 **Disclaimer: I wish I owned this series... *cries***

 **This chapter has been edited for your reading entertainment! (:**

* * *

 **Jason wasn't sure what to think of the visitors.** As the king's son, and as the successor prince, he grew up with the philosophy of always being alert. But this time- it was _different_.

He wasn't entirely sure on what was different, just that the guests were off, so to speak. They seemed wary- of what, he did not know. There was Frank, a large, chubby man with close-cropped black hair and skill with a bow. Jason had seen the man fight, his movements precise, and unique and developed. Jason had high hopes for him in the future. Maybe he could be a hero of Cardin.

Then there was Reyna, a well-built girl with dark hair and tanned skin, who held herself high and prideful. Her tactics were always well thought out and always led them to victory. She had a calm disposition, always keeping her cool under pressure.

They had only been in his father's castle for a month, and Jason had fallen into the habit of always checking to make sure they weren't doing anything of the suspicious category. Frank, of course, was naturally clumsy; Jason couldn't really find anything on him. And Reyna always evaluated the situation- she wouldn't let anything slip. It seemed as if his entire suspicion was crumbling in on itself- until the last night he spent in the castle, and his world was turned upside down.

* * *

"Prince Jason? Sir Frank has requested to speak with you," said Piper, a beautiful handmaiden that had a wonderful way with people. Her hair was braided that day, unlike its usual choppy downward cascade. She wore a yellow dress with a simple tan corset tied around her waist.

Jason nodded. "Send him in." Piper stepped out of the room, leaving his large castle room behind her. Jason took his sword from his table and hooked it onto his belt. In the entire month they had been in the castle, the pair had never directly spoken to him, unless the king had begun a conversation the stimulated all of them. Frank stepped in, wearing typical fighting attire: silver plated armor over a simple tunic and trousers. His bow was strapped to his back in the usual manner. His eyes were darting around as if searching for something.

"Something bothering you, Sir Frank? You seem quite nervous," Jason commented, blue eyes narrowing.

He quickly shook his head, then stopped and thought a minute, as if wondering he should say anything. "Jason, you can't stay here. You're in danger."

Jason laughed. "I have all the knights of Cardin at my command. I myself am one of the most skilled swordsmen in the land. I'm not in danger."

"Don't be ignorant. Come with me, we can find a place to keep you while this dies down." He stepped forward, grabbing Jason's arm and pulling him forward. Jason quickly shook out of his grasp, unsheathing his sword and preparing for a fight. Frank steadied himself, ready for a blow.

Jason almost wanted to chuckle. Was he preparing to fight him with _nothing?_ He swung at him, ready for this to be over. But, instead of hitting Frank, he simply hit the air, and he stumbled backward. He shook his head and looked in front of him. Where Frank was, a large lion stood, short enough to dodge the blow. Jason blinked. It was still there, but not focused on him.

Behind him, he heard cackling. _Venti_ shot through the window, directly at Jason. The lion leaped up, slashing at the spirit with his claws. The venti leaped back, hissing. If that noise could be described, Jason guessed it would've been a hiss. The lion roared, once again leaping towards the storm spirit, and this time successfully hitting his target. Golden dust exploded across the room. Slowly, the lion gained human features, and in no time, Frank was, indeed, standing in front of him again.

Jason blinked. Magic? He had never seen magic before, but with the way his father saw it, it wasn't a good thing. Magic had been persecuted for decades. He was back into reality when Frank looked around nervously, possible trying to find another attacker. He held his hand out.

"I can't explain everything now, but you need to come with me. Come on!"

* * *

 **DONE! Notes:**

 **-Okay, I have no idea why I made Jason so jerky/snooty, but I have plans to make into the Jason we all know and love: Leader, kind, and Percy's best friend.**

 **-Anyway, more characters to come! (Leo and Nico I will have the best time writing, I have some cool ideas for them.) Sorry if any characters are OOC, I don't have much experience writing most of them.**

 **Anyways, what do you think? Anything I might need to expand on?**


	2. The Plan

**Piper didn't know what was going on.** After seeing Jason bust out of his room with Frank, both speed walking down the corridor, she honestly didn't know if she wanted to _know_. She walked up to the grand oak doors of the prince's room and peered in. The bed was in disarray, a table flipped in the corner, not to mention the thin layer of gold dust that coated everything. She put the table upright and noticed a few pieces of fur on the floor. She squinted. Lion fur? There weren't lions this far south in Cardin. Then again, there weren't many people like her in Cardin _at all._

She sighed, making her way out of the room. She would need some help to clean this mess. Maybe she could find her friend, Lacy, to help. "Excuse me." Piper stopped walking and turned around to meet whoever had spoken.

"Lady Reyna. How can I help you?" Piper asked, trying as best as she could to not sound worried. If the King came around and saw Jason's room...

Reyna stood a bit taller. "Have you seen Prince Jason? I sent Frank to get him but..." she bit her lip. She noticed Piper's nervous glances at the prince's door. She stepped back and peered into the chaos. " _By Edwylm_ ," she muttered. She looked back at the handmaiden. Running up to her, she began to drag Piper along down the hall. Struggling not to trip, Piper saw Reyna's panicked expression. Even if she tried to hide it, one thing was pointed out to Piper. They were in danger.

"You've seen too much," Reyna said as she glanced at Piper. Before Piper could question this, Reyna bust opens the door to the servants steps. Rushing down the stairs, she made it outdoors into the main plaza. She spotted Frank hiding behind a haystack, Jason fidgeting not too far away. Frank glanced up and his jaw tightened as he saw Reyna.

Reyna crouched behind the hay and pulled Piper down with her. She took it as her chance to speak. "What do you think you're doing?" Piper whisper-shouted. "Just because I didn't exactly clean-"

Piper's voice faded as Reyna gave her a glare. Frank sighed. "Later. Right now, we need to get out of here." He peered over the haystack, slouching against the pile when he saw no way out.

"Frank, we could have you turn-" Frank shook his head at Reyna's words.

"You know how it is. I'll have to be an animal big enough to get us out of here. By the time I get us airborne, the archers would have shot us down. The king hates magic- to do it within his castle walls?" Frank shuddered.

Jason shrugged. "The only other exits I know of are up top." he glanced at one of the guard posts that loomed over the capital city. "There should be ladders up there that can be pushed over the edge. We could escape through Astar's back streets then out to the forest."

Frank nodded, ready to get into action. Piper gave a nervous laugh. "Wait, um, Sirs? My Lady? Are we just going to-"

Reyna gave a single, quick nod. "Yes. I promise, we _will_ get you out of here."

"I don't want to leave! All I did was get dragged along!" She yelled, desperately trying to keep her voice low.

"Look, Piper-" Jason tried.

"Shut up! Close your mouth," Piper said, rubbing her temples. Unknown to her, Jason's mouth snapped shut at the command. Frank's eyes widened at the sight.

"Piper, did you just... Jason?" Piper looked confused, then looked up. Her eyes began to shift, from green to blue, and every color in between, as they always did when she used her powers. Jason's mouth was snapped shut and he had a concentrated look on his face, desperately trying to get his mouth open. She would've laughed, this time for real, but decided against it at the looks on Frank and Reyna's face.

Reyna spoke first. "Magic. You have magic?" Her questions were drowned out at the thoughts pouring into Piper's brain. She had yelled at people with a _way_ higher rank than her, then used magic? She was going to be sold for slave work, she knew it. She shook her head, trying to hold back tears. "Piper?" Reyna questioned. She looked up.

Frank cleared his throat. "Don't worry, I was that way too when Reyna found me. When she found out about my magic... Let's just say that backing away in fear isn't a good idea on a cliff." He gave a nervous chuckle.

Jason cracked a small smile. He glanced at Piper, wanting to say something. Piper's eyes widened in realization. "Sorry. You can speak now."

He sighed, relieved. "It's alright," Jason looked at the small group. "Ready?" They nodded.

After a half hour of sneaking past guards and others who would question the four, they had made it to the tower. Jason glanced around and pointed at the rope, gesturing Frank to get it. Jason glanced over the edge, looking for anyone below in the streets of Astar. Frank began untangling the rope ladder (obviously the guard did not do a good job of putting it away.), leaving the girls to spot intruders, should they come.

"You shouldn't be so ashamed of your powers," Reyna stated, still looking ahead.

"Ashamed?" Piper asked. "I never said I was."

"Piper, I know that look. You may not be ashamed of them, but they have done something to you in the past. Something you can't quite forgive yourself for."

Piper looked down, thinking of a memory long ago. But however old that memory was, it was burned into the mind like the fire that put it there.

"Reyna? Piper?" Jason called. "We're ready."

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter, I feel like this was a good one! I'm currently writing a few stories, and moving, so I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up. I made a few changes at the end of the last chapter, so check those out if ya want. Anyways, notes:**

 **Anon: I plan on writing in multiple POV's. I usually put the name of the POV in the first sentence, like how today it was ' _Piper_ didn't know what was going on'. Glad you're enjoying it!**

 **stars-sailor: Yeah, I'll have to work on the OOC-ness. Most characters I feel like I can handle, like Jason, Nico, Annabeth, and Leo. But for Frank, Percy and the rest, I just wing it. I'll be rereading the books and practicing, so hopefully it'll get better.**

 **Okay, good news: I have a good idea for introducing Hazel... Now I just need Frank and Percy. But I'm excited. Plus, I will be trying to make the chapters longer for a more enjoyable read.**

 **This chapter has been edited for your reading entertainment. (:**

 **Anyways, look forward to the next chapter! And please review, I'd like to know where I can get better. Bye!**


	3. The (Quiet) Escape

**Frank let the others begin to go down the rope,** while he turned into a dragonfly that slowly made it's way down to the streets of Astar. Returning to human form, Frank looked ahead a the crowded city in front of him. Jason shifted nervously, while Piper kept shooting worried glances towards Reyna. He sighed. _So much for the perfect team Reyna wanted to find._

"Jason," Reyna said. "I would advise laying low. If anyone saw you, it would draw suspicion."

"Alright," Jason replied. He looked at Piper. "If anyone sees me can you..." Frank noticed how hesitant he was to talk about magic. His father, King Zeus, had a reputation for discriminating magic users, sometimes even killing magic _beings._ He knew how worried he was whenever he found about his gifts. Most were sold as slaves, others threw in the dungeons, some killed on sight if they fought back. Frank somewhat knew how Piper was feeling.

Piper nodded. "Of course, Prince." Jason looked awkward at the word 'prince' but said nothing. He turned to Reyna.

"The best exit we could take is that way." He pointed down a cobbled street, large enough for a parade march. "It's where the merchant wagons come in. It's pretty empty this time of year. Piper, Frank, you ready?" Piper nodded, as did Frank, and Jason gestured us to follow.

Reyna walked several steps in front of the others, Frank staying in pace with Jason, hoping he would take any approaching eyes off of him. Piper stood behind the group, eyes darting around. Only then did Frank how weird the three looked. With Frank and Reyna both heavily armored for battle, Jason with very regal clothes, and a plainly dressed hand-maiden, they probably were the oddest group the town had seen.

Frank glanced at Jason. He noticed how out of character he was acting. The stubborn, proud prince he had seen for his stay at the castle was gone. Frank didn't know what to think. It was as if the minute he stepped out of the castle he began acting more... calm. Collected. Frank shook his head. Whatever it was could wait. He focused on the city.

With what Reyna had told him, this city, and others like it, would be rubble. It would've been terrible, especially seeing the city as, well a _city,_ and not a quest location. High arches led into the different buildings, stone carvings detailing stories and battles, constellations and any other thing you could think of. The clouds were practically gone that day and the sun cast an orange glow on the wet paths, slick from the storm last night.

"If you wanted it so bad, why didn't you get it?" Frank heard someone say. He faced his left, where a boy and girl were talking.

"I already have a sword- a good one at that." The boy looked a bit smug, but with humor in his eyes.

"No, you don't. I've had to save your trousers more time than I can count. You've honestly gotten worse with that sword. You know what? You not buying that sword proves it. Maybe you _actually_ do have seaweed for brains." The boy laughed.

Even with her harsh tone, the girl seemed happy, her smile large. Her blonde hair tumbled down past her shoulders, her gray eyes sparkling. He outfit was one of a man's, Frank noted, a white tunic loose on her feminine frame. A dagger was strapped to her waist. Probably a knight from somewhere in Cardin. Frank looked at the other person. A tall dark haired boy held hands with her. His eyes were a bright sea green, a sword strapped to his waist, even if it was lopsided. The girl caught the eyes of Frank and her grey eyes narrowed, like little storms brewing. Frank didn't notice he stopped until Piper bumped into him. "Sorry," he mumbled, then walked faster to catch up with the group.

Ten minutes of walking later, they met the woods. Thick trees surrounded a gravel path leading into a dark thicket. Reyna kept walking, looking around for a good clearing. Frank walked along with the hand-maiden. "Why'd you come along?" Frank asked.

"Reyna found me after you two bolted from the prince's room. Said something about 'seeing too much'," She sounded almost robotic, as if she was taking her emotions and shoving them into a bottle. He was about to ask about it when Reyna spotted a clearing.

* * *

"It's not much, but it shall do," Reyna stated, looking at the pile of twigs and sticks she had collected.

"I'll start the fire," Piper volunteered, sound much happier than earlier.

Frank froze. "F-fire?" Jason looked utterly confused, along with Piper. Reyna did too, for a moment. Until sympathy spread across her face, which was weird, since Frank wasn't used to seeing much of any emotion on her face.

Reyna stepped over to him, gently pulling him down to sit against a tall oak. "It's all right. We'll make sure that you aren't near it."

Jason spoke. "What about fire?"

Reyna stood up again. "Since shapeshifters are such powerful magical beings, a sorceress cursed them long ago. Of course, other things can kill them, but... fire is their number one fatal weakness."

"Oh," Jason said simply. Piper looked mildly annoyed with the princes response, but went to start the fire, as far away from Frank as possible.

"Lady Reyna?" Piper said, in the middle of setting up a few twigs.

Reyna sighed. "I think we are past the 'lady' and 'sir' and most definitely past 'prince', Piper. You are now part of this quest as much as the rest of us."

Piper nodded. "That's just it. What quest? What are we doing here with you?"

Reyna's expression turned grim. "A friend of mine, Rachel, is a seer. She told me of a quest, a prophecy."

"What prophecy?" Jason asked, sitting next to the small fire Piper had started. Frank nodded, wondering what it could be that bother Reyna so much. He agreed to go with her, even if he didn't know fully know what the quest was. Now, he was curious.

She sighed. "

 _The sorceress shall awake from her slumber,_

 _Only to be stopped with the magic number._

 _A demon shall have his final stand,_

 _So that the rest might see land._

 _One lost in the palace of eternal sand,_

 _Death's ghost one other shall withstand."_

Silence. Jason played with it fingers, Piper poked around a burnt twig. Frank broke the silence.

"The sorceress?" He asked.

Reyna pursed her lips. "I don't know who it could be, but I have a feeling that the 'magic number' is us. The thing is, I don't know how many people are needed on the quest."

Frank nodded. "But from what you've told me, Rachel's never wrong. We'll find the others, if Rachel said so. Besides, we don't have a choice. If what you've said about this sorceress is also true, Cardin won't stand a chance."

Jason put his hand up. "Wait a moment. How do you know we're part of this?"

Frank looked down. "The venti that attacked is all the proof needed. It would have never attacked the castle, which is heavily protected, just to get to Reyna and I."

Piper sighed, her eyes tired and worried. "We should get some sleep."

"I'll take first watch," Frank said. The others nodded, laying down and drifting off to sleep.

* * *

The first suspicious thing Frank noticed was a loud rustle in front of him. He took the bow from behind his back and notched an arrow.

"Don't shoot!" Screamed a voice. Frank's hand wavered on his bow and he blinked. _What?_

"Seaweed Brain," a voice muttered. The two stepped out of the shadows. The two from the street earlier stood in front of Frank, the girl shaking her head probably from the boy's battle tactics.

"What, Annabeth?" 'Seaweed Brain' said. "You said that I was useless with this sword. Besides, you said you were _suspicious_. _Not_ that you were going to fight them."

Annabeth looked at Frank. "Alright. Wanna wake up your comrades?"

After getting up a groggy Jason, and Piper along with Reyna, the six sat in a circle. Reyna was the one to tend the fire, casting a fiery glow on the group.

"You wanna explain why you are in our camp now?" Reyna asked.

"I saw your group in the town earlier. I thought I should investigate," Annabeth said, as if this was a normal occurrence. The woods around them seemed to be a lot livelier. Frank thought it must have been the experience and kindness radiating off the two.

Reyna considered this. She glanced at Frank. "This isn't a coincidence. They were meant to be here. Remember: Rachel's never wrong."

"Woah," the boy, who Frank found out was named Percy said. "Rachel Dare? _Rachel the seer?_ " Reyna nodded.

"A friend of mine. Why?"

Annabeth seemed more into the conversation. "Rachel's the entire reason we came here. She's Percy's old... _friend._ " Annabeth seemed a bit bitter when talking about Rachel, but continued. "She told us we would find a group here, that we would know who they were when we saw them. I guess that is you."

Jason nodded. "That would make the most sense. Reyna?"

Reyna began to tell the of the prophecy and the quest. At the end, they looked at each other. Sharing a silent agreement, they nodded.

"We're in."

* * *

 **Geez, prophecies are hard. That took me FOREVER. But, any guesses on the prophecy crap? Also, I won't have set chapter release schedule, that way I won't be super stressed about getting a chapter out on the right date.**

 **This chapter has been edited for your reading entertainment. (:**

 **I just realized I forgot to do the disclaimer last chapter... Well, here we go. I don't own Percy Jackson because a) I am not an insanely good writer and b) I am not a male named Rick. I only own the plot.**

 **Okay, before you explode at me for saying Jason's dad is Zeus and not Jupiter, it's important to the plot, so chill. Also, There are no gods in this story, so Zeus is not _Zeus_ if you get what I mean. Also, don't freak about Percy's sword/sword skills, that is to also come later.**

 **Honestly, I expected Reyna to be a much more minor character, but I have found I like writing her. So now she's a main character!**

 **I think *hint hint* we might be seeing *hint hint* a certain di Angelo *hint hint* soon... *hint***

 **Bye!**


	4. The Necromancer

**Jason sat in silence** with the others as the darkness began to fade into an early morning glow. Percy sat talking with Frank. Jason studied the new guy. Percy seemed so laid-back. More than he could ever be. He shook his head. What would his father think? Going off with a group of possibly insane fighters.

"Hey." Jason looked up to see Piper, the hand-maiden who wanted nothing to do with this quest but was here anyway. "You think we're really the people from the prophecy?" She sat next to him.

He huffed. "I don't really know. But if Cardin's in danger, I have to fight."

She nodded. She looked at her fingers, fumbling with her yellow dress. "I wasn't born in Cardin, you know. I met someone. He took me all the way to Astar. I probably would've never gone on this quest if it was not for him. Wouldn't of met the king or Reyna or Frank, or you." She shook her head. "I don't know why I'm telling you this."

Jason looked back down. The conversations around him had gone to whispers of the prophecy. "What happened to him? Your friend, I mean." Her face turned dark.

"We- we had a falling out," she said shakily. Jason immediately felt bad.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up," he apologized.

Piper looked at him. "It's okay. I like this you, you know. Not that snooty prince, but this. A friend, a leader." She looked back towards Astar. "I've heard some of the conversations you've had with your father. So, I'm sorry too." Jason closed his eyes. His father had never been the best person. Most of the conversations they had were about him being weak. Of course, he'd learned how to please him, eventually, but he still lived with the fact that his father hated him.

"Jason. Piper. We are ready," Reyna said, the others standing up to leave. Jason nodded, standing. He put out a hand for Piper. She grabbed on, and Jason pulled her up. They were on their way.

* * *

"Percy," Reyna broke the silence that had fallen. "You have magic, don't you? And Annabeth, as well." Percy froze, mid-stride, and almost fell if it wasn't for Frank's quick reflex to grab the boy.

"It's alright, Percy. I've got magic. Along with Frank and- Reyna, do you have magic?" Piper asked, genuinely curious.

Reyna nodded. "Learned magic. Not as strong as yours or Frank's. Lending magic." Jason nodded, no idea what that was.

Annabeth shook her head. "I'm mortal. However, Percy is a water elf." Annabeth moved Percy's shaggy hair away from his ears, revealing slightly webbed tipped ears. Percy blushed at the contact but said nothing otherwise.

"Magic users? You'll have a high price."

Jason immediately had his sword out, along with the others, Frank ready to shift at a moments notice.

The voice laughed. "Boys? Get them."

Lunging out of the bushes surrounding the six were seven well-armored men. Most had swords, but the last, and largest had a spiked hammer. Piper gulped. Jason didn't really blame her. She was a servant, not a trained warrior. Then, Jason realized what she was doing.

"Stop," she said, shaking. The men's stance faltered for a moment, then went back into full gear. One of the men ran up to her, trying to get a good hit, when Percy appeared in front of him, holding the sword. Jason's glance caught the largest man, the bulky figure smirking. He lifted up his hammer and swung it down, Jason rolling on pure instinct from the years of training he had. Jason raised his golden blade and tried to hit a weak point on his armor, around his waist. However, he was knocked back with a punch to the stomach, sending him into a tree.

Pain exploded in his chest, his breathing getting slightly worse every second. Then Jason realized why. The man's glove had several small spikes on the knuckle, perfect for when you wanted to hurt your enemy. _Bad_. He looked at his chest, blood leaking from several points.

Jason cursed. He could see Reyna and a bear, possibly Frank, fighting off one of the lackeys. Three men were already down, Annabeth taking all weapons off them. The two left were being taken care of by Piper and Percy, Piper making one tired with her voice, and Percy knocking the other man out with a sword hilt to his helmet. Percy smirked, then noticed Jason. His happy face became one of fear.

Until Jason could figure out what he meant, his cloak was picked up, dragging his body up off the ground, his eyes meeting the hammer man. "I don't like it when people try to hit me," he growled, spit flying from his mouth.

"Good. 'Cause then you definitely won't like this," a man said. Suddenly, the ground began to rumble, cracks forming in the surface. Quickly, the cracks opened into large pits with an ethereal glow. One, then two, then 20 hands clawed their way to the surface, and soon, ten skeletal beings stood in the forest. In the middle of it, was a boy, no older than 13, with shaggy black hair and dark eyes leaned over a black sword that was dug in the ground. Black clothing donned the boy, a brown leather pelt covering his arms. "Attack!" He yelled.

At once, the skeletons moved forward and pulled the hammer man off of Jason. Jason fell to the ground with a wince, his chest flaring with pain from the sudden jolt. The skeletons, crawling over and fighting the very shocked man, had him in an unconscious state quickly.

"You may leave," the boy stated, pulling his sword from the ground. And like that, the skeletons were gone. Percy walked over to the boy, studying him closely. Then his eyes widened.

"Nico?"

The boy nodded. "Nice to see you, Percy. Been a while." He glanced at the rest of the group. "You should come with me."

* * *

Jason had Nico show them to his small camp until he let him explain. The fire glowed brightly of the cave walls, a few pelts covering the ground. Frank looked a bit antsy near the flame, but Jason didn't say anything.

Piper sat next to him, with the rest of the group off to his left.

"I met Percy a few years ago," Nico started. "I was looking for my half-sister, Hazel. She was supposed to help me find my... older sister. But I couldn't find her. It was like she disappeared. Percy helped me track down my sister instead. I... _left_ shortly after that." Percy shifted. Obviously, the story had more to it than what Nico was saying. "I was heading to Mirar to see if and of the seers there could help."

Reyna nodded. "Yes. I see." She stuck her hand out. "Welcome to the quest." Nico blinked.

" _What?_ "

Frank laughed. "She does that to people." Reyna explained the circumstances to Nico and he gave a small nod.

"We'll see. I don't have a good history with quests." Jason noticed Nico give a quick glance to Percy, then he continued. "Jason, how's your chest?" Jason was confused for a second, then remember that he had gotten hit. The pain had dulled, somewhat, now just a small throbbing. Nico grabbed something from his pocket. "Made by a friend of mine. Will."

"Nico, stop," Percy said. "Jason's human. He can't drink that stuff. It'll kill him." Nico looked confused, then nodded.

"Alright."

"Wait," Jason said. "You have a drink that only heals magic beings? And could kill humans?"

"Well, yeah," Percy said, the he smiled. " It's called Ambrosia." He paused for a moment, then added: "Things different now, castle boy?" Jason ignored him. Nico stood, tossing Jason some bandages then speaking.

"Go to sleep. Jason, Piper, want to take first watch?"

"I'm sorry about today," Piper mumbled, well after everyone was asleep.

Jason's brows furrowed. "What do you mean? You were great." Jason remembered the way Piper had made one attack sleep with nothing but asking him to.

"But I could've stopped the entire battle. If I wasn't so sca-" she stopped talking, afraid to reveal anymore. She noticed Jason staring at her. "I'm fine, Grace. Don't look at me like that." Jason noticed the way she put no power into her voice, simply hoping he'd look away. He sighed. This was gonna be a long quest.

* * *

 **This chapter has been edited for our reading entertainment. (:**

 **I have been really motivated to write ever since rereading The Titans Curse the other day. I was reading and then almost cried because Nico was this adorable happy kid and... *sob*. Apparently that's motivation for me.**

 **Also, if you need anything to be cleared up, just ask. I'll be sure to get back to you. And, as always, reviews are greatly appreciated.**


	5. The Castle Hides Secrets

**Percy awoke last the** **next morning**. Annabeth was sitting up next to him, her hair tied in a braid. She smiled.

"You're up." Percy jumped at the noise, fumbling for his sword, realizing it wasn't around his waist. His eyes found the prince. It came back to him. The quest, the prophecy. Percy sighed, embarrassed.

"Sorry, Jason," he told him. Jason nodded.

Turning to the group, Jason spoke. "We should head for Mirar. Nico, we'll see if we can help you find Hazel while we find Rachel." Nico nodded.

One hour later, with leather packs full of food and medical supplies, the group set off on the path. Percy slowed down to walk alongside Nico.

"Necromancer, huh?" Percy asked. "When'd you learn that?"

Nico scowled. "While back." He twisted his silver ring, as he always did when he was nervous. Percy let the conversation into a somewhat awkward silence. Percy remembered the first time they had met, three years ago, a kid with a bright future...

 _Percy sat on a wooden log, next to a flowing stream. His feet were bare, dipped in the fresh water. His hair was much more tame than usual; he wanted to look nice for when he went into the town. If anyone suspected him of being a water elf, much less a magic being, he would certainly be arrested. After several offenses, the already suspicious knights would be fed up._

 _"Hey, mister!" Percy looked up at the chirpy voice. A little boy stood in the path, with short black hair and bright onyx eyes. His tunic was slightly tattered, and his boots scuffed up. "Can you help me out?" He smiled._

 _Percy gestured for him to sit down. He did. "What can I do for you?"_

 _He looked slightly sad. "My half-sister, Hazel. I need help finding her." He looked a bit happier. "Then I can find Bianca!"_

 _Percy nodded, not knowing who Bianca was. "I'll see what I can do. Come on, kid. Let's go."_

Percy wasn't sure how long he'd been lost in thought until he saw the sun in its descent. "There." Reyna pointed.

Up ahead, a large stone wall stood high, knights stood patrolling. Past that, crowded streets and old shops cramped the crowded, bustling streets, people returning home from their day. In the middle of it all, a large golden castle shook hands with the clouds, diamonds and rubies decorating the sides of the spires. Balconies hung over the towers, the entire structure making a large glistening shadow over the city.

"That's- That's _a lot_ of gold," Jason breathed. Frank nodded. Piper stood in awe, while Percy and Annabeth stood back cracking a smile next to Reyna.

Nico huffed. "Let's go."

We began to walk.

"I'm glad Cardin was right next to Minos kingdom; we would've been walking for days," Piper said.

"Wait, we are in a different kingdom? We didn't even walk that far. I guess if we need to use our-" Annabeth clamped her hand over Percy's mouth and glared.

"No. Even if King Zeus uses magic beings as slaves, Minos is almost as bad. He uses them as personal servants," she sighed, her face turned grim. "But if they're powerful enough, he holds them prisoner against their own will."

Jason nodded. "We should make sure you five lay low."

"Which is nearly impossible since the streets will be empty," Piper added.

Reyna shook her head. "That will not be a problem, Piper. Come, let us go to the seers hideout."

"You have a _hideout_ too?" Jason asked, his eyes widening. Percy laughed, explaining that the seers had a place here, hidden.

* * *

The seers hideout was a lot more extravagant since he was last there, Percy noted. After weaving through alleys and going down a small, crooked staircase, they reached their destination.

The wooden walls had tapestries of battles and prophecies that were to come or already completed. A candle lamp hung in the middle of the room, casting a dim glow on the room. Rugs of every kind littered the floor, women of all kinds sitting around. But, in the middle of it all, was a frizzy-haired girl.

Rachel was looking over a scroll when she heard the group enter. She brightened. "Percy! Annabeth! I see you met Reyna."

Annabeth nodded, anger carefully hidden in her eyes. "We came here for... several things."

Rachel smiled. "Yeah, I figured." After introductions and a small consumption of food, Rachel spoke of the prophecy.

"I see you have gathered most of the group, Reyna. But I have a feeling your group isn't complete." She shook her head. "If _only_ I could figure out-"

Reyna put her hand on Rachel's shoulder. "Rachel, it is quite alright. Look, we've already found most of them, just like you said." Rachel gave a small smile.

Nico shifted. "Rachel. I need help with a, uh, _personal quest_." Rachel stared at him for a moment.

"What is it, Nico?" The shadows in the room seemed to quiver at the mention of Nico's name. Percy stared at a spot on the wall with a shadow that seemed like it was moving away, as far as it could get. No one else seemed to notice. Percy was dragged back into the conversation when Nico spoke.

"I'm looking for a girl named Hazel Levesque."

Rachel looked slightly sad at the name. "I've heard a rumor. And, if you are truly looking for Hazel, I pray that it isn't true." She sighed. "A few days ago, just after I Percy and Annabeth left here, I was going out for bread and I heard a man talking to someone. He said, 'That explains it. I had wondered why the kingdom was out of debt and rich in only a few years'. Then, the other man... he said, 'Yeah, he sure knows how to control that Levesque'." Rachel shook her head. "I'm sorry, that's all I remember."

Nico growled. " _Whoever_ _has her should watch out, I will personally take them by the-"_

"Thank you, Rachel," Reyna said, quieting Nico. She looked over at the necromancer. "There's your information. Will you be joining us or not?"

"Wait, Reyna," Jason said, concerned. "What if Hazel's a part of the prophecy? If Nico is part of this quest, it can't just be a coincidence that he's looking for Hazel."

Annabeth agreed. "We have to check it out." Percy nodded

Reyna sighed. She looked over at the remaining party: Frank and Piper. "I guess you agree with this?" Frank nodded, while Piper gave a very stern 'yes'.

"Alright. What's the plan?" Reyna stood up.

Rachel shook her head. "Sleep first. You must be tired after walking all this way."

* * *

Percy silently thanked Rachel the next morning. Refreshed, he quickly sat with the chattering others. Piper smiled, now dressed in a more of a quest appropriate outfit. Dark green trousers were tucked into brown boots, a white blouse fitting her perfectly. Her hair was out of its braid, now in a choppy cascade down her shoulders.

"We were waiting for you to awake," she said. He nodded, and the cheerful noise stopped.

Rachel began speaking. "One of the seers had a vision. She thinks Hazel is in the castle."

"How are we going to get in the castle? That place must have thousands of guards, with that much gold," Frank stated.

Annabeth bit her lip. "Not to mention finding her. You saw the castle, it's _huge_."

"Piper could talk her way in," Percy said bluntly. Piper quickly shook her head.

"N-no. You heard Annabeth yesterday. Magic is- it's..." she sighed. "Besides, there's no telling how many people we will have to get through, by then someone will notice my magic."

"Not if we're quick," Jason said.

"Look, I'd love to just talk our way in, but it's not that simple." Piper looked worried. Percy knew that look. It was the exact same look Annabeth had given him a couple years ago, when she was afraid of her skills, of her intelligence. Back then, that Annabeth had done _things._ Bad, bad things.

Percy sighed. "Piper-"

"Whatever your powers have done in the past, you need to get over that _now._ Either that, or head back to Cardin," Reyna said, fed up with Piper's excuses.

"Reyna," Percy said harshly.

"No, Percy," Piper said, glaring at the knight. "She's right. Let's go." Percy settled with a pitying glance towards the charmspeaker, and got ready to leave.

* * *

"You shouldn't have done that," Piper said, staring at the path in front of her. The seven were walking towards the castle, a few whispers around the air, but the happy chatter drained from Reyna and Piper's argument. "I haven't known Reyna for long, but she was right. I need to get over it." She looked down. "It's something I should've done a long time ago."

Percy didn't meet her eyes. "What happened?"

Piper bit her lip. "I got rid of the only friend I had." Percy's eyes widened, to which Piper noticed. "No! Not like that!" Her tone calmed. "It's just... I told him to..." She stopped, and Percy saw the girl was on the edge of tears.

"You don't have to tell me the rest."

She nodded. "Thanks, Percy."

"Dang, that is a _lot_ of gold."

Percy laughed. "You said that yesterday, Grace."

"Yeah, but it's still a lot of gold." Jason smiled. Nico looked as if he was suppressing a grin, but caught it with an irritated groan.

"Let's go. If Hazel is being held captive by Minos..."

Annabeth nodded. "We should hurry."

Funny enough, the amount of guards in the place was minimum. It was the guards _themselves_ they were worried about. Most of them reaching seven feet, heavily armored guards were scattered around the place. With humongous long swords that looked like they could kill you in a single blow, Percy found himself giving them glances, even if they were letting them past. Finally, they made it past the gates.

Reyna spoke up. "Get ready, Piper. Once we leave the common's area of the castle, we will need your help." Piper nodded.

The seven made it to the small servants door off to the left. A guard scowled. "What are knights doing entering the servant door?" Jason stiffened.

Quickly, Piper used her magic. "Oh, but sir, we have to go through this door. Together. You see, it's important. A valiant knight like you must know that it is very important, correct?" Piper was using her magic so thickly, Percy was having trouble thinking straight. Her eyes flashed like a kaleidoscope. The guard's head lolled, as if in a trance.

"Yeah, sure, go on through, pretty lady," he said dreamily. Piper's eyes narrowed at the 'pretty lady' comment, but quickly led them through the door.

"Wow," whispered Jason. "I never thought the servants corridors were like this." Jason was currently hunched over with Percy, Frank, Annabeth, and Reyna. Nico and Piper, having slightly shorter bodies, were walking through the walkway with ease.

No one decided to comment on Jason's words, which Percy thought was probably for the best. "It'll be awhile until we get to the dungeons. This place has a similar layout to your castle, Jason," Piper whispered in the silence.

Frank's eyes were darting around, especially eyeing the torches that lined the walls. "So, uh Frank." Percy felt slightly awkward talking to the shapeshifter, as never even knowing him days before hand. "How'd you meet Reyna?"

He looked down. "It was a bit after my mom died in the war against Owrothen. my grandmother, she told me about how our family was a long line of shapeshifters, some of the last in existence." Percy nodded, knowing that shapeshifters were rare, with their well-known weakness of fire. "I was scared- living in a kingdom of people who wouldn't hesitate to capture me if they knew of my lineage. So, I ran. It was months afterward. A group of rogue knights- freelancers, I think- tried to kill me. I used my powers, but they only attacked harder. Reyna found me after that, almost dead. She told me that I was part of a prophecy, and took me to Astar. That's when we met Jason and Piper."

Percy found them in silence. He only found himself saying one thing. "Sorry about your mom. I know if I lost my mom..." He sighed.

"Where is your mom?" Frank asked, curious.

"She was human, so I'm technically half- water elf. She lives in Ritlad, a kingdom west of Cardin. Magic there... it's _free_. Used in the open. When I met Annabeth, we became knights- not hired by any particular kingdom, but going where we were needed most." Percy looked down. "I haven't talked to her in a few months."

"We're here," Piper announced, a rotten wooden door standing in front of her.

"From the lack of noise, I would guess the guards are only posted outside of the dungeon, so we should be okay," Annabeth said, her ear against the door.

Reyna looked a bit relaxed at that news. Nico only looked more determined. "Open the door." Piper obliged, and the seven walked into the stone room. Immediately Jason was met with the smell of blood. He quickly covered his nose, others following his example. Nico looked bored, and Piper looked embarrassed.

"Oops. I think I may have overshot it."

Jason put her hand on her shoulder. "It's alright. We'll go from here. Wherever here is."

"Torture chambers," Frank said, disgust dripping off every word. Nico's eyes narrowed.

The room was stale, and the smell of death and blood radiated in the air. The room was barren, minus a large raised slate of wood in the middle, probably used to put the prisoners on. A sign above the door said, ' _Thorn will see you know'_. A large rack of weapons hung off one of the walls, any weapon that could've been thought of hanging off a nail. One particular sword caught his eye. A large bronze sword hung was held by its hilt on nails, a bright glow radiating off of the weapon.

"You like those?" A leathery voice said. "Beckendorf was a good weapon's maker. But I ran out of prisoners to play with. Can you make weapons? I've been looking for a new worker." A man stepped from the doorway, cackling. A large man stood in the room, grey hair neatly placed on his head. Percy guessed this was Thorn.

His eyes widened, finally recognizing a threat, his hands fumbling for his sword. Jason was already armed, with Frank aiming his bow. Reyna was in a battle stance, weapon out, along with Annabeth. Nico glared harshly at the man, holding his black sword. Piper stood warily off to the side, but ready to speak should the need occur. She knew as well as the others that the man could tell them where Hazel was, but the guards would catch them first.

Thorn cackled again. "You don't need to do that, _magic_ _scum_. Unlike me, your magic is... reckless. You see, Minos kept me as an exception. I don't think you'll be so lucky. Let's see how you do against my blood magic, shall we?" He shot his hand out, the group immediately flew back against the wall, Frank and Reyna taking the blunt of the attack. Both groaned, dazed. Percy rushed forward, and swiped his sword, only for his blade to stop inches away from Thorn's smiling face. "You don't want to do that, water elf."

"Wha-"

"Oh, come on, it's too easy. Water elves don't have blood, only water rushing through their veins, but you... you're half human. Blood still runs through your veins." He glanced at the sword. "Drop it." As if those were the magic words, Percy's hand went limp. Jason tried to stab the man, but only succeeded in cutting his cloak before being sent back to the wall.

"Stop!" Piper yelled, and Thorn laughed.

"Your little charmspeak won't work. Blood magic is something too superior for that," Thorn said.

Annabeth's eyes darted around, and Percy could just imagine her brain mapping out a plan. Nico who had been standing next to Piper, disappeared. Percy cursed. He should have known the boy would bolt when they saw the torturer. Percy had known his history with torturers, the things that Nico didn't want to talk about in the months he disappeared.

Reyna tried to open her eyes, but Thorn saw and forced her eyes shut. Jason shakily got up, his face littered with dirt. He charged towards the torturer, who simply smiled and threw him back, then picking him up again as soon as Jason groaned and threw him back against the wall. Percy could've sworn he hear a loud _Snap!_ but focused on Thorn. Percy, still without a sword, looked at Thorn.

"Why try, scum? You simply cannot win," Thorn laughed.

"Percy!" Piper yelled, and something made it's was through the air. A sword. Percy caught the blade, it's aura glowing a bright blue as soon as Percy caught it. He pointed the tip at Thorn. However, Percy's attack plan was shortened. Shadows thickened behind Thorn, who immediately turned around. "What?"

The shadows dissipated, revealing a very angry di Angelo. "Not necessarily, Thorn." He stepped forward, Thorn's face twisting in confusion.

"Why can't I- Why can't I control you?" Thorn's voice shook.

Nico smirked. He took the hilt and smacked it on Thorns head. The torturer crumpled. He looked at Percy. "That's twice I saved you. New record." Percy smiled, then laughed. Nico cast a glance to Frank and Reyna, then to Jason, who was struggling to get up.

"Jason!" Piper yelled, running to the prince's side. On his forehead was a nasty gash. Percy put his new sword in his sheath, or tried to. It shrunk down to meet a shape of a reed pen, the size of his hand.

Annabeth looked at the pen. "Interesting sword. Must be magic," she muttered. Nico got a vial of liquid out of his pocket and gave Frank and Reyna a small dose. Jason, assuring Piper he was fine, saw Nico's actions.

"Wait! You said humans couldn't have that stuff. Why give it to Reyna?"

Annabeth answered him, naturally. "Magic is like a candle. For some people, their candle has always been lit. Those are the people who were born with magic. Others light the candle later. Those are people who learn magic, like Reyna. To some magic cultures, she is now a magic being." Jason nodded.

Nico stood, the others helping steady Reyna and Frank. "We should find Hazel now," he said.

* * *

The rest of the journey went smoothly, Piper using her charmspeak whenever a knight questioned them.

Percy kept a pace with Nico. "How come Thorn couldn't control you?" He noticed Nico's minuscule panic, but as soon as he blinked, it was gone.

"I don't know." Percy knew the necromancer was lying, but knew Nico wouldn't tell him if pushed. They came across a large cell door, to which Reyna sent a questioning glance.

"A prison cell? They should be with the others. Why is this here?" Frank's eyes widened.

"This isn't any prison cell. Look." He pointed at intricate engravings surrounding the door. "Those a magic runes. They'll block any magic used on them."

Annabeth looked at them closely. "Powerful ones at that. I'm also guessing the door is made so nothing can get out. What is in there?"

"Only one way to find out," Jason said, grabbing the handle and pushing the door.

The room was small. A large basket of jewels was half filled with diamonds and emeralds. Crates of the precious metals stood off to the side. The only light came from a small cluster of candles on the floor, but it was enough to see what the group's eyes saw.

A dark skinned girl only around Nico's age sat in an old wooden chair. Her gold eyes were wide at the sight of the door opening with seven strangers appearing. She wore an old tattered dress, possibly once a yellow, but now a dirt brown. Caramel curls came past her shoulders, her hair frizzy.

" _Hazel_?" Nico breathed.

* * *

 **This chapter had been edited for your reading entertainment. (:**

 **I'm on a role! Now if only I could get inspiration for my other stories-in-planning... *sigh* I definitely feel like this is going fast, but it's the perfect pace for the twisted, depressing, and heroic story I have in my mind. So if you can't handle plot twists and twisted people, I don't recommend the rest of the story. (But, of course, I'd appreciate it if ya did...)**

 **I don't own Percy Jackson or Heroes or Olympus or Leo and Nico would most definitely be best buds.**

 **Guest: For the most part yes. I'll have Caleo and Percabeth and Jasper and such, but I might change it up with Nico or just go with him liking Will. I'm definitely going to have romance and fluff in the story, but it's mainly plot and story.**

 **And we delve even deeper into Percy's and Nico's mysterious past, along with Frank's past revealed! And of course next chapter: why Hazel's in that crap dungeon in the first place.**

 **Goodbye!**


	6. The Mechanic

**Frank was surprised about how easily they had found her.** Nico was still standing in the doorway, eyeing the girl, Hazel. Hazel began to stand up in pure amazement, only to be pulled down. Frank glanced down. On her chocolate colored ankle was a large manacle with a chain that was attached to the ground, keeping her trapped. Annabeth and Percy came into the room, shaking off the fact that Hazel was in fact, there, and was being held prisoner. Nico surged forward, his hands inspecting the manacles.

"Nico?" Hazel whispered, her voice hoarse. "You..." Her eyes found the rest of the group. "Who are they?"

Percy put his hands out, showing he had no weapons in hand. "We won't hurt you. In fact, we came to save you." Frank tuned out of the conversation when his eyes came across a large wooden door on the right side of the room, shoved in the back, as if it were an afterthought when they were building the castle. Like the door they just came through, this door was also covered in magic runes.

Nico sighed, and unsheathed his sword, bringing it down on the chains. They shattered, a manacle still wrapped around her foot, but no longer connected to the ground. Hazel gathered Nico in a hug, to which he gladly returned. Frank was flabbergasted. He couldn't imagine Nico touching anyone, much less hugging them. He seemed too closed off, too distant. But, Frank thought, he hadn't seen his half-sister in ages. They broke apart.

"We'll have to get the rest of the chain off later," Nico told her. "I don't know if a spell was cast on them or not."

Hazel stepped towards the corner door, her legs wobbly. "We have to save him." Frank looked at the door, confused. Nico grabbed her shoulder.

"Who?" Nico huffed. "Hazel, we have to go. If we don't leave soon, Thorn will wake up and then we _won't_ have a chance to get out."

Hazel blinked. "Thorn? The torturer? But he has blood magic. How did you get past him?"

Percy smiled. "You have to thank your brother for that one." Hazel nodded, then glanced back at the door.

"We have to free him," Hazel muttered.

"Who?" Frank finally spoke up.

"I don't know. He showed up seven years ago," Hazel told them. "I don't even know his name. But he took the blame for something I did a week ago- I haven't seen him since." Her voice cracked. "I didn't even know his name," she repeated.

Percy sighed. "We should find this guy. He might complete the 'magic number' thing?" He looked at Hazel. "Then, we'll get you out of here."

"Oh, you will be doing nothing of the sort." Hazel gasped, eyes full of fear, and looked past the group. They turned. An imposing man stood tall, a pointed grey beard on his chin, will cold, analyzing eyes. "Hello, druids. I don't want you touching my _pets_."

The group stood staring at King Minos himself, while Hazel was still too fearful to move. Minos stepped closer, grabbing Hazel's arm, and shoving her down. Nico growled, and lunged at him. The king toppled over, but was smiling the whole way down.

"Guards!" Minos cried. Frank saw Jason's jaw tighten. Percy pulled Hazel up, giving her to Piper.

"Get her out of here. We'll meet you at Rachel's." Piper nodded, and begun taking Hazel out of the room, only to be bombarded by several guards. They all grabbed for their weapons, pointing them at the eight. Frank, understanding the dire situation, tried to shapeshift. With a grunt, he remembered the runes.

Minos laughed. "You can't use your magic now, druids. Those runes will make sure that you are as powerful as normal humans."

Nico's eyes narrowed. "What are you doing, _Minos_?" His tone was dangerous, and Frank had to stop a shudder.

"Why, only adding to my workforce. But, some of you..." he paused. He pointed at Hazel, Frank, Nico, Percy, and Piper. "Guards! Put those five in the dungeons!"

* * *

"Yuck," Percy muttered. The cell was a decent size, if it weren't for the smell of excrement and mold. Dirt covered the floor, with a large bench pushed on one side of the room. Runes covered about every inch of the room, so Frank didn't see them getting out too soon. Piper, who decided to sit on the bench with Hazel, was trying to charmspeak the guards, but it seemed ineffective, and she quickly gave up.

"What do you think the others are doing?" Frank asked, not directed to anyone in particular. He had wondered if their friends had come up with an elaborate plan or were just going to wing it. With Annabeth though, Frank guessed it was most likely the former.

Surprisingly, Frank got his answer. "Minos probably has them working already," Hazel said. Her gold eyes twinkled even in the dire situation, and Frank realized that she was probably glad to get out of that room, or even have a new face to talk to.

Nico looked up at Hazel. "What did Minos have you doing?"

Hazel avoided her brothers eyes. "I don't know how long it's been, but when Minos found out about my magic, he used me to get his kingdom out of debt. The manacles allowed me to use my powers without escaping."

Nico's eyes burned, as did Percy's, but to Frank's surprise, Percy was the one who answered. "You mean they kept you locked in that room," he said, desperately trying to keep his voice calm for the young girl. "To make Mirar _wealthy?!_ "

Piper looked at Hazel, her eyes searching for any sign of fear from Percy's tone. When she found none, she glanced at the group. "We need to get out of here."

That was something they all agreed on, no charmspeak needed. They sat in silence. "Hazel," Frank said, a plan formulating in his mind. "Your magic. What is it?"

Hazel blinked. "Uh- Mostly gem magic. But I'm an earth elementist, too."

Frank nodded. "And if you can use your powers with the manacles on-"

"-and since they didn't take the manacles off," Percy said, catching on to the plan. "We can get out of here!" He slapped a hand over his mouth. "Sorry," he whispered.

Nico shook his head. "No wonder Annabeth calls you Seaweed Brain." He looked at the group. "Hazel, do you think you can? I'll help." Hazel bit her lip, then nodded.

"Yeah." She closed her eyes, as did Nico's, and at first nothing happened. Suddenly, their eyes flew open, Hazel's gold eyes more vibrant than ever, and Nico's onyx ones like coal. The earth shook.

"Alright," Nico said. "That's good. Now focus on the door." Hazel's brow knitted, and the ground shook again, but this time harder, and more focused on the door's overall radius. By now, Frank was standing with his arms spread, trying to balance himself. If Hazel could do this level of earth magic when she just got out of captivity, then Frank would love to see what she could do when she was fully rested and nourished. The door shattered.

"Quickly!" Yelled Piper. They were on their way.

* * *

Frank was surprised about how easily they found the others. Down the hall, hidden away in the same room that Hazel was in, was Reyna, Annabeth, and Jason.

"Percy!" Annabeth said. Her eyes widened. "Close the door!" Nico, quick to Annabeth's word, shut the door without a second thought. Frank glanced through a small hole in the stone. Minos, and a few knights, were standing in front of the door. Frank quickly grabbed a crate full of priceless metals, pushing it in front of the door. Jason, getting the hint, helped. Soon, all of the boxes were blocking the door. Piper glanced at the door in the corner.

"Let's go," she said.

Reyna stepped close to the door, squinting. "Annabeth, do you know what these runes mean?" Annabeth came up next to her, examining the door.

Annabeth blinked. "Wow. These- these are _strong_. These look like runes that block magic, but allow you use it."

"Okay, so we're good," Percy said. "We can use our powers in there." Annabeth nodded. She placed her hand on the doorknob, twisting it. The door swung open.

It was a lot bigger than Frank anticipated. A large underground bunker stood before them, at least 40 feet tall, with a large covered mass in the middle of the room. Tools were scattered around everywhere, grease and oil making some areas of the floor slick. A pile of old, tattered blankets were in one corner, but they looked as if they hadn't been slept on in a while.

"What's that?" Piper asked, pointing to the covered object. Annabeth shook her head, at a loss for words. Percy walked forward and grabbed the sheet, pulling down, hard.

They gasped. A large warship, two-hundred feet long, with long oars lining each side, now was seen in the room. A tall mast stood high, doubling the size of the ship. The trireme's most noticeable feature, however, was the lack of a masthead. It must of been forever, gaping at the large ship.

"Come on," Nico said, even though he was still amazed with the trireme.

"Who are _you_?" Frank jumped. He turned around. Coming from behind the ship, a short, scrawny boy stared at them. His skin was tan, his nimble fingers playing with a few springs. His brown eyes sparkled and his mouth was shaped in a mischievous smile. Frank could've sworn he saw Piper stiffen out of the corner of his eyes. He was wearing a dirty, grease covered tunic, a tool belt strapped around his waist. He laughed. "Come on, no one's gonna talk?"

Hazel ran forward, hugging the boy. "You're okay!" She pulled back. "Why did you say that it was your fault-"

"Oh, you know," He told her. "Have to be a gentleman." He faced the rest of the group. Frank saw his hesitation to speak when he saw Piper, but spoke anyways. He stuck his hand out. "Leo Valdez, humble blacksmith."

Reyna shook his hand. She glanced at the trireme. "This ship... Who built it?"

He grinned, proud. "I did. Took me awhile, but Minos wanted it built." Frank noticed how his eyes dimmed a bit when saying Minos' name, but his usual twinkle was back in a split second- so fast, Frank thought he'd imagined it.

Hazel smiled. "Leo! We can leave! These people, they saved me. They took down Thorn, too. We can be free!" Leo glanced at Piper, who had been silent this whole time.

"Hazel-"

"Don't worry," she said, excitement in her voice. "They have magic. We don't have to worry anymore!"

Leo hesitated, but nodded and grinned. "Well, how can I say no to that?"

Reyna stepped forward. "Leo, we have reason to believe you are part of a prophecy. Come, sit."

Later, the nine sat in a circle, Reyna telling Leo and Hazel of the prophecy. "I'll help in anyway I can," Hazel said, determined.

Leo stood up and faced his ship. "You know, I have this giant warship now, and nothing to do with it. And since Minos doesn't have Hazel anymore, it'll probably gather dust in this old bunker." He turned back and grinned, a maniacal glint in his eyes. "Need transportation?"

Jason smiled. "Of course." He pushed himself up. "Reyna? Let's get ready to head out."

* * *

Frank was impressed. The ship, or the Argo ll, as Leo called it, was beautiful. The deck was barren, except a control panel, to the likes of which Frank had never seen before. The next level down were all the cabins and rooms, along with a large dining area. The final level was mostly empty space, except a medical room and a large room at the end of the space, which Leo said was the engine room. Frank didn't know what an engine was, and by the looks on the others faces, they didn't either.

"We should tell Rachel, before we go," Annabeth said, after they made it back on deck. They nodded.

 _"Not so fast, druids."_ A voice rumbled through the room. _"You won't make it off the ground."_

Reyna's eyes widened. "The sorceress!" The nine's eyes were darting around, trying to find the source of the voice.

Nico's eyes screwed shut. He let out a yelp. "Nico!" Hazel yelled. She ran over to the necromancer.

" _Why try to oppose me?"_ Leo looked worried, scared. Frank thought that after being down here so long, he probably hadn't had action like this in a long time. The sorceress cackled. " _You fight a losing battle."_

Leo ran to the controls, his hands flying so fast, Frank could barely see them. "Leo!" Percy yelled. "Hurry up!" Leo shook his head, trying to go even faster, if that was possible. "Come on, _come on,_ " he muttered. Reyna ran to the side of the boat, accompanied by Jason, quickly looking for the sorceress overboard. Nico was panting, now on the floor of the deck.

The ship rumbled. Frank was about to yell to Leo that the sorceress was about to destroy the ship, but when he looked over he was smirking. Frank was confused. What was he doing? The ship stopped rumbling. Reyna and Jason, still at the edge, stepped back in surprise. Frank looked overboard. The were rising. Frank blinked.

Leo walked down to the middle of the deck. "And that, ladies and gentleman, is how we do things in Leo-world." He gave a winning smile.

Jason shook his head. "That- that was _amazing,_ Leo."

Annabeth was muttering something unintelligible, but Frank assumed it was something about physics and gravity. "How did you do that? How are we _flying_?"

Leo _tsk'ed._ "If you must know, a lot of complicated machinery. Minos wanted to make fast getaways, and something flashy. This is what I came up with."

Nico was in a more relaxed state now, but unconscious. Percy walked over to the siblings. "What happened?"

Hazel shrugged. "My best guess is the sorceress's power. He has more control over the earth than most people, and with her magic, I guess it was overriding his systems."

Piper came over to him. She reached in his pockets and came out with the healing vial. She handed it to Annabeth. "Here. I don't know to much about that stuff, so I don't know how much to give him." Annabeth nodded, crouching to reach Nico.

Jason walked over. "Meeting in the mess hall. One hour."

* * *

 **This chapter has been edited for your reading entertainment. (:**

 **I don't want to have too many 'story introduction' chapters, since this story will be _huge._ So, apologies if this chapter was a bit of a mess. But anyways, I hope you enjoyed! Also, I wasn't too sure for the POV for this chapter since I'm not too comfortable writing from Frank's pov, but if you think it needs improving or you liked the pov, I'd like to know!**

 **A quick thank you to stars-sailor, seriously. I honestly didn't know when I could get another chapter out, since finals are coming up and all, and just life in general, but your review made my day. So, thank you!**

 **And, no, I asked. I (sadly) don't own PJO or HoO. Oh, well. I'll try to persuade them better next time.**


	7. The Idea

**It was a bold move, Leo thought.** Just a few minutes ago, he was making sure the ship was stable. He had high hopes the engine would help the Argo ll fly, but he had doubts. After assuring himself the ship would hold out, he met the others in the mess hall. Jason sat in the center of the table, Reyna, Frank, and Hazel to his left. On his right sat Piper, Annabeth, and Percy. Nico, who had woken up half an hour beforehand, stood off to the side as if he was too uncomfortable to sit with the large group.

Leo _still_ couldn't believe it. Hazel had made it out of her imprisonment with seven others and then came and found him. After the others had nothing left to say about their journey, Reyna cleared her throat. "I have not told you of the prophecy." Hazel nodded, looking slightly curious. Reyna sighed, a sad look lingering in her eyes. Leo guessed the quest was coming too quickly for her.

" _The sorceress shall awake from her slumber,_

 _Only to be stopped with the magic number._

 _A demon shall have his final stand,_

 _So that the rest might see land._

 _One lost in the palace of eternal sand,_

 _Death's ghost one other shall withstand."_

The room was silent other than Leo's fingers tapping against the table.

Annabeth coughed. "Right. So, _the_ _palace of eternal sand,_ " she said. "Maybe somewhere in the desert. Tartarus' kingdom? Miglo? It's just east of Cardin."

"Maybe. I'm not sure. But if it says, ' _one lost'_ we should be careful," Jason said. "And this ' _demon'_ business."

Reyna nodded stiffly. "I agree. Demons are vile creatures, but if one of them will help us, we should not judge quickly."

Frank scoffed. "I don't think you know how demons work. They're deceiving, evil. Nothing but ill intent. They look like mortals."

Reyna stared at him. "How do you know that? Anyone who has run into a demon has always, _always_ gone insane."

"I ran into a few of them back in Lord Hades' kingdom, but a few knights took them down before anything could happen." Nico stiffened at the word ' _Hades_ ', which didn't go unnoticed, along with Percy and Hazel's constant shifting.

Annabeth rose her eyebrows. "You do know Percy, that if you have something say, you can say it." Percy opened his mouth but nothing came out.

Nico coughed. "Hades is my father," he stated it as if this was nothing. Jason made a choking noise.

"Your father _is Hades?_ "

Leo sighed. "Look, as much as I love listening to you talk about prince's and princesses, I have an _actual_ idea." The other eight sat expectantly. He caught Piper's glance, and how she bit her lip, but he decided to ignore that. "A few months ago, I found a paper dropped by Minos. He was looking for a dagger, one that could see the future. We find that- we find out what our next move is."

Annabeth's eyes widened. "Katoptris! The last owner, Helen, used it to see the future. I think it was enchanted by some sorcerer, though I can't..." She trailed off, probably annoyed that she couldn't remember. "But you're right, Leo!"

Percy shifted to hold Annabeth's hand. "Where is it?"

Leo knew that question was coming. "It wasn't really clear, but my guess is somewhere on a beach. The note said something about a beach in... I think it was somewhere in the west."

Jason nodded. "There's only one kingdom west of Mirar. Ritlad."

Percy grinned. "Anyone up for a family visit?"

* * *

Ritlad happened to be very cautious to large flying triremes, as Leo found out. They had crossed the kingdoms border pretty easily, but once they made it to the capital city, Memer, they guards began to load their catapults.

Leo decided that was a good time to land.

The others agreed.

"State your business," one of the bulkier guards said, his voice gruff.

Reyna stepped forward. "We only wish to enter your city. We mean you no harm."

Leo was glad Reyna came forward, instead of himself because, in all honesty, he would've said something that got them all killed- _and he was having a pretty good day so far_.

"Ha!" One of the younger guards pushing forwards. "What was this whole thing with the ship then, huh? You could be from another kingdom, _Cardin perhaps?"_ Leo noticed Jason's jaw tightening, but the princes mouth was glued in a tight line.

"No," Annabeth said, understanding the knight's caution. Ritlad and Cardin had been in conflict for years. "We apologize for our ship, but I guarantee we have no bad intentions."

"Are we supposed to believe that?" The burly one had his hand on his sword hilt.

Piper's eyes widened. "Please," she said, charmspeak leaking into her voice, though, Leo couldn't tell if she meant to or not. "We need to get through. We'll leave the ship out here."

The guards seemed dazed. "Uh, yeah sure, whatever you say." Frank let out a relieved sigh.

The gate rumbled, and Leo could feel the iron gears turning inside the walls turning, the pulleys lifting the gate out of the way.

Into the city they go.

* * *

 **Okay, sorry for the filler/ short chapter! This chapter and forward are where most of the similarities end. Most battles, trials, etc, will now be courtesy of me! Also sorry for the long wait. I just got (and finished) Trials of Apollo, and Rick, you sir, have been a good author (except those plot twists, cliffhangers, you know, the usual). Now I need the next book...**

 **This chapter has been edited for your reading entertainment. (:**

 **I don't own PJO or HOO.**

 **Also, if you'd like, please go check out a two-shot I just finished called 'Claustrophobic'. It's some sad Leo stuff, so yeah.**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns?**


	8. The Dream

**WARNING: I have edited the previous chapters for little mistakes made by me, so go check those out if you want. It would probably help if you did...**

* * *

 **Annabeth decided she hated dreams.** After entering the capital of Memer, she noticed a change in atmosphere. Unlike the guards outside, the people inside the walls were joyful. Not to mention the magic in the air. She had felt magic before- Percy was a powerful water elf- but she had never experienced anything like the air thrumming with the powers of hundreds of people.

She spotted a middle-aged woman closing up her shop for the day, an animated broom sweeping up her shop. Over on her left was a butcher, cleaning pig meat while another knife was somehow sharpening itself. Some children ran around the road, one in particular using teleportation magic to play tag with the other kids.

She noticed how Jason had stiffened at the sight of so much public magic, but he also seemed curious, invigorated. However, Frank kept sending glances at the prince, daring him to attack someone. Percy had a bounce to his step, excited to be back in Ritlad. Annabeth herself was also excited to be back in the town where she had met her boyfriend. However, she also noticed the glares that were being shot her way.

She knew why. Back then, she had been a different person. When she met Percy, she had found someone who looked past the wall she had built up, someone who could see how scared she was. Who wouldn't have been scared? She was only sixteen at the time, and that seemed like a lifetime ago. But it wasn't- it was a year ago.

She looked back at Leo and Piper, who were walking in front of her, side by side. It was weird, though, that they wouldn't meet each other's eyes. Something was going on there. Leo himself seemed like quite the character. With his impish features, he seemed like someone who had magic, and with what Hazel said, he did. She would figure that out later, right now, she had to find Sally Jackson.

* * *

Sally was a middle-aged, beautiful woman, who had fallen in love with a water spirit, Poseidon, some years ago. However, Poseidon had been hunted down by one of the many conflicts between Ritlad and Cardin, fled. The Jackson's had not heard from him in many years.

Percy knocked on the door of the stone building, which was currently used as a hotel. His mother ran the place, which was good news for the travelers since they had no place to stay. The door opened revealing a brown haired woman wearing a dark blue gown.

She smiled. "Percy," she breathed, bringing the boy in for a hug. She pulled back, seeing the rest of the group. "You should come in. Especially you." She pointed at Jason. "You have the family crest of Cardin on your armor. I'm surprised you haven't started a riot yet."

They came inside, immediately smelling a large pot of stew that was cooking. The kitchen was off to their left, living space to the right. Which meant, up the stairs, were the bedrooms.

"Come on, let's get you nine fed."

A few minutes later, the group sat around a round table that had several candles burning in the middle to keep the room lit. Annabeth sat next to Percy, Hazel and Frank to her right.

"Here," Sally said, coming over with a few bowls and the pot.

Nico held up his hand. "Sorry, Ms. Jaskson. I'm not hungry."

"Nico, you haven't had anything in awhile. You should eat," Reyna said.

The necromancer narrowed his eyes, and the shadows quivered around him. "I'm fine, thank you."

They left it at that. Percy finished before everyone else. "So, uh, Leo. Why were you in Minos' castle?" Leo froze. Annabeth winced at the insensitive question, and a few others had wary glances. However, Hazel straight up glared.

"Nothing too bad," Leo said, after collecting himself. "I was captured when I was, uh, walking." Annabeth saw Piper look away at the word 'walking'. Reyna nodded, dropping the subject.

"So, Katoptris," Reyna said. "The closest beach would be south, maybe a week's walk."

Leo grinned. "About two days with my baby." Annabeth was still amazed at how the massive thing could fly. Whatever this 'engine room' was, she _had_ to get a look at it.

Percy grabbed a piece of parchment. and ripped into the shape of Ritlad. He pointed towards the top right area. "This is Memer." He ran his finger across the left side. "And this is the shore."

Annabeth nodded. "And considering size, we can't just go around searching for the dagger. It would take to long. Do we have any other clues."

"Dagger?" Sally asked.

Hazel nodded. "Yes. Katoptris."

Sally sat at the table. "If you're looking for that dagger, you might want to try around here." She pointed at the northwest shore on Percy's makeshift map. "A few priests might have it." She got up and gathered everyone's bowls. "Tell them I sent you. They aren't very nice to strangers."

Percy looked confused. "Have you been there before?"

Sally bit her lip. "Yes. When you were little, I was looking for your father. They gave me shelter."

They nodded. Annabeth clapped her hands. "Okay! Leo, think you can get us there?"

Leo nodded. "No problem, Annie!"

"Don't call me Annie," she growled. Percy laughed.

"Come on, Wise Girl. Let's all go to bed."

* * *

Her dreams were filled with unfortunate news.

A tall woman stood in the middle of an underground throne room. The ceiling was high, much unlike the caverns she had been in before. With her back to Annabeth, she couldn't tell what she looked like, except a long dress, that constantly shifted from brown to green- colors of the earth. Hair cascaded down to her back, the color of tree sap.

The throne was made of twisted branches, vines wrapped around the arms. The seat was one of grass, flowers of every color at her feet.

"They _what?_ " She asked, her voice like a breeze running through trees. She knew that voice. It was the same one that had talked on the Argo ll- the _sorceress_. Another person came into view. He had shaggy hair, pointed teeth, and wore a long white nightgown.

 _Lastrogonians._ The word popped into Annabeth's head easily, her eyes analyzing the situation.

"T-they assemble group," the ogre stuttered.

The woman turned around smoothly. Her face was beautiful. Her eyes were a bright green, her nose small. Her cheekbones were high, but all of this was put aside at the look of rage in her features.

"All of them? I guess I didn't break his heart as much as I had hoped." Annabeth didn't know what that meant, but it could be nothing good. The sorceress sighed. "I suppose we'll have to send in a few... _distractions_." She smirked.

"Besides, if I don't kill them, I still wouldn't worry. When they find out the secrets a few of them are keeping, they'll kill _each other_."

She screamed as she shot up from the bed. Her door burst open. "Annabeth!" Percy ran into her room. "Are you alright?"

Annabeth held his arm, pulling herself out of bed. "Get the others. I have some news. And you aren't going to like it."

His face turned grim. "Okay."

* * *

As she explained her dream, she didn't think Reyna's face could get darker.

She was proven wrong each sentence.

Annabeth knew it was wrong, but she left out the last part. If a few of the nine were keeping secrets that big, she honestly didn't want to know. The fact scared her too much.

Frank spoke first. "Lastrogonians... You don't think they could be the 'distraction'?"

Annabeth shook her head. "No, if she wants us to be taken down quickly, she'd send in something closer. Lastrogonians are native to Owrothen."

Frank looked a little uncomfortable at the fact that they came from his home territory, but Annabeth couldn't blame him.

Leo sat in silence at the part where Annabeth described her, Jason looking at him in curiosity.

Piper spoke up. "But I thought the sorceress was sleeping, like it said in the prophecy."

Percy sighed. "Most prophecies have double meanings. Maybe her full power or something."

"Okay," Hazel said. "We should be careful on our way to get Katoptris."

Leo blinked. "Uh, yeah. Let's go."

* * *

The Argo ll was soaring in the clouds, Leo at the helm. Jason was also on deck with Piper, but they looked deep in conversation. With the others below deck, Annabeth approached the blacksmith.

"You know who the sorceress is, don't you?" She said it softly, trying not to come off to strong.

Leo jumped at the new presence, but didn't look at her. Instead, he looked down. "Yeah. Her- her name is Gaea."

"How do you know?" Annabeth was curious now, she had honestly just met the boy and there was more than what he had led on.

"The night my mo-" He let out a shaky breath. "Annabeth, I really don't want to-" He was cut off by a yelp that escaped his throat as the ship lurched sideways.

Annabeth stumbled as she saw what was knocking the ship around. "Boreads!"

"Great," Frank mumbled, coming up the stairs, an arrow ready.

The others rushed up the stairs, grabbing their appropriate weapons. Piper, who was still on deck, didn't have a weapon, but she stood ready to defend the ship and the others.

"Destroy!" One of them cheered happily.

* * *

 **There's that chapter. So, what's up with Nico? And Piper and Leo? You'll find out soon enough... MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ha ha... ha. Okay.**

 **I finally made a map! So since I did that, I will not be as confused, which means you won't be confused, so YAY!** **I feel really bad for Piper right now... She doesn't have her dagger yet and she only has her voice. Welp, what can you do, right?**

 **I cross my heart, I don't own PJO or HOO. I'm not good enough of a writer to have that privilege.**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns?**


	9. I'm sorry

**I apologize, with all of my soul. Well, not all of it... I have some of my soul up in some Horcrux's somewhere. I'd apologize with all of my soul to you if I could remember where I put them... Anyways! On to business!**

 **I'm not sure when I'll be able to update since my June is going to be very busy and hard to get free time. I mean, I could write, if I didn't have to** ** _sleep_** **and all that. HOWEVER! I have a few snippets to tide you over, and/or make you completely mad at me! Enjoy:**

 _"He wasn't sure the tinkerer was telling him all of the story."_

 _"'Come on, guys! It'll be fun!' she coaxed, waving rapidly towards the figure with a glaze over her eyes."_

 _"Zethes scoffed. "Not here. My father, nor my sister, would ever allow fire users like_ you _to taint his palace."_

 _"'Not true, son of Zeus. Not entirely true." He smirked."_

 **and...**

 _"He looked down. Frank guessed the necromancer had never said that much about anything to anyone, except maybe Hazel."_

 **That's it, folks! All I'm willing to share with you until the chapter comes out. All I have to do now is finish and edit, and hopefully it with be on your screen (maximum: two weeks) soon!**

 **Goodbye!**


	10. The Island

**Frank wasn't expecting to end up on an island.** After the Boreads appeared, he shot his arrow. He wasn't even sure he was aiming at anything, but he just wanted something to shield his eyes from the two flying monstrosities in front of his eyes.

One wore a purple tunic, which would've been nice if the article of clothing wasn't skin tight. Brown leggings tucked into his yellow boots, which looked as if they had never been used. White hair was slicked back on his head, his purple wings arched and ready to dive. The other one, which looked similar enough to be the other Boreads brother, was slightly bigger and covered in armor. His white hair was in disarray. But the thing Frank was mostly worried about was the jagged swords in their hands.

"Get out of here! Leave!" Piper yelled, her charmspeak washing over the ship. Frank had to force his legs to stay put.

The first Boread spoke in a heavy accent, which Frank knew was fake. "We should?" He looked to his brother. "Calais? Should we listen to the pretty woman?"

Calais gripped his sword tighter and giggled. "Destroy!"

The other Boread shook his head, as if his brother's words shook his out of his trance. He raised his sword.

"Crap," I heard Percy mutter, as he took out his pen, which transformed into a glowing blade. Leo raised a hammer, which came seemingly from nowhere. As the others drew their respective weapons, Frank kept his eyes on the Boreads, making sure they weren't about to try anything. The first kept his eyes on Piper, possibly not wanting to be enchanted again. Calais, however, was using his sword as a toothpick. Frank blinked. _Alright_ , he thought, _focus, Frank_. He notched another arrow.

He shivered at a sudden chill in the air. Wasn't it the middle of the harvesting season? It couldn't be getting cold just yet. He shook it off just as Calais poked his brother.

"Zethes? Can Cal destroy now?" Zethes looked at his brother.

"Not yet," he whispered, although, with his accent, it sounded ten times louder. "You know why. Sister said-"

"Destroy?" Calais asked hopefully.

"No, you dolt!" Zethes sighed, focusing once again on Piper. He smirked. "Actually, Cal, you can destroy her." He pointed at the charmspeaker. Calais gave a cheer and dove straight for Piper, who was _still_ without a weapon. Jason's eyes widened and he rushed over. Sparks flew as the swords met, complete silence coating the ship other than the noise of struggle between the two.

Piper looked ready to run, but she stood her ground. "Get out of here! Don't bother us again!" Frank knew if anyone could get rid of the Boreads, it was her. However, her voice wavered, so Calais simply pushed with his sword harder. Zethes, who had stood back for most of this, narrowed his eyes. He slowly flew closer to the ship, finally stopping two inches away from Leo's face.

"I smell fire," he said, staring into Leo's brown eyes. 'Fire' seemed to be the magic word, because Calais flew away from Jason, making the prince fall from exhaustion. Calais went next to his brother.

"Fire? Fire is bad. Destroy?" Frank didn't know what was with this guy and _destroying_ , but he agreed with one thing. _Fire is bad_. Frank stepped away from the tinkerer, not even knowing if he had _anything_ to do with fire. Reyna looked at Leo.

"What is he talking about, Valdez?" Piper bit her lip, though Frank didn't know why.

Annabeth stepped forward. "Boreads are creatures of ice, because of their father, a powerful sorcerer named Boreas. He controls the colder winds. If they _say_ they smell fire, well," she sighed. "Leo?"

Leo shook his head, eyes full of fear. He had already taken a step back from Zethes, and Frank really didn't judge him for that. Anyone who could stand being close to the Boreads, weird as they were, was a real hero. He shrugged. "Okay, fine. I work around fire a lot. Maybe that's it. Maybe it's the engines, I don't really know."

Zethes glared at him, finally landing on the deck. "I smell fire on _you_."

"Hey!" Jason yelled, not exactly sure what Zethes was on to. Zethes turned to him. Jason blinked. "Um, don't-"

"Don't attack Leo!" Percy said, carrying on for the prince. "Jason has awesome powers, and all." He went for a winning smile. "And you don't want to deal with that, do you?"

Jason stared, flabbergasted, at Percy. "Percy, I don-"

"Of course!" Annabeth said, sending a quick glare towards Jason. "His powers will destroy you in a second!"

Zethes looked interested in this. "Really? Well, I assume it's power you were born with. Who are your parents?"

Reyna joined in. "Why, King Zeus! Only the most powerful magic user for his father!"

"I'm surprised you haven't heard of the treacherous tales of Jason Grace, slayer of the, uh..." Percy looked at everyone for help.

Frank remembered something Annabeth mentioned from her dream. "The Lastrogonian race!"

Zethes waved his hand. "Destroy?" Calais asked.

"No, wait," Zethes looked at Jason. "Jason _Grace?_ King _Zeus_ is _your_ father?" Before Jason could even answer, Zethes burst out laughing.

" _What_?" Jason asked.

"Not true, _son_ of _Zeus_. Not entirely true." He smirked.

"What are you talking about?" Jason raised his sword.

Another shiver went down Frank's spine. "Brothers!" a voice yelled. "I want to deal with them myself.

The voice came from a girl, with pale skin, and a long white dress. Her eyes were a milky brown, but they were emotionless, _cold_. Her hair was such a contrast to her skin, Frank had a hard time looking at her. She appeared on the deck in a flurry of snow, no weapon in hand.

"Zethes, Calais. Take down their boat," she said. Zethes zoomed towards the sails and began to rip them up, Calais on the ground ripping up the deck.

"No!" Leo yelled.

The girl looked at him. "Hush, boy. It won't matter soon." She looked around. "My name is Khione, daughter of Boreas."

"Sorceress of snow," Annabeth muttered.

Khione looked at her. "Yes, mortal. Enough talking, though." She waved her hand. A strong gust of wind shot Reyna, Jason, and Piper flying into the air.

"Reyna!" Frank yelled. Khione smiled, which looked more like a sneer. "Don't worry shapeshifter, as I said, none of your worries will exist soon. Because you'll be _dead_." With another wave of her hand, Hazel, Percy, and Annabeth took off into another direction, the cold wind moving them farther away.

Nico and Leo backed up, until they were in line with Frank. Nico looked ticked off, probably from his sister, and Leo readied his hammer. However, as he threw it, the three took off into the sky, the frosty wind biting at Frank's skin as he blacked out.

* * *

Frank acted fast. As soon as he awoke, he turned into a dragon, catching Nico and Leo in the air. Spotting an island in the distance, knowing he wouldn't be able to stay in this form much longer, he dove towards it.

As soon as his feet touched the sand, he turned into a human, and his knees buckled. He had never tried turning into a dragon before, but he knew one of his ancestors could do it. Leo groaned, spitting out sand. Nico was already standing. "What is this place?" Frank wondered aloud.

Nico looked around, dusting off his pants. "No idea. And I couldn't care less. We just need to get back to the ship."

Leo stood up shakily. "You know, this would be a better experience if I had a pineapple with me," he said, taking in the beach. However weird the statement, Frank had to agree. If it were possible, he'd want to come back here someday. Tall trees of every variety were towards the inner island, while a stream lined with rocks emptied itself into the clear water. Bright flowers stuck out of the grass patches. The sand was crisp white, which made the sky seem even brighter. Leo looked at the sand closer, his eyes narrowed.

"Huh. Lime," he muttered. He picked some of the granules up, taking a cloth pouch out of his belt. After filling the bag, he turned towards them. In one swift move, he stuffed the pouch in his belt and swiftly made his way down the beach. "Come on, stragglers!" He said. "Let's see what your pal Leo's got to work with."

* * *

It was hot. That was the first thing Frank noticed walking in his armor. Nico was no help. Everytime Frank got a glance at the necromancer, Nico was just walking comfortably, as if it were the nicest day out.

Leo was _also_ no help. He kept humming little tunes to _who knows_ what song, picking up random pieces of wood. His mind kept coming back to what the Boreads had said. _"I smell fire on_ you _."_ Frank didn't know what that meant, but as a shapeshifter, it _couldn't_ be good. Would Leo hurt him? No, of course not. They were on the same side.

 _But_ , one piece of his mind said, _you've only known his for a few days. How do you know you can trust him?_ Frank found himself believing that voice, I mean, Leo and him had never fought by each other, he had no not reason to trust him. Frank shook away his thoughts. That could wait.

Frank sighed, deciding to help the young blacksmith. Helping him pick up bits of wood that he thought were okay, any pieces of vine Leo said would be good for tying the raft together, they slowly made their way down the beach. Frank picked up a weird looking stick, which was really smooth. After a few minutes of silently walking, Nico not to far behind, Leo finally set down his wood. Nico, who had been silent most of the time, sat down next to a dip in the ground and starting placing small pieces of wood together for a fire.

"I hope Hazel's okay," Nico said, trying to light a fire away from the knight.

Frank blinked. "Uh, how'd you two meet?" Nico looked up.

"My father. When I was looking for my sister, he told me where to find her." He looked down. Frank guessed the necromancer had never said that much about anything to anyone, _except_ maybe Hazel. With Nico continuing to work on the fire, Frank noticed a very silent Leo working on the raft.

"Uh, hey Nico," Leo said awkwardly, glancing at Frank now and then. "I can help you with that fire."

Nico raised his eyebrows, interested. "Can you? Go ahead." Leo looked at Frank real quick.

"Now Frank, don't freak out," he said, putting his hands out.

Frank scooted back a bit. "I don't like it when you say that."

"Don't worry Frank, I've got it under control." He wasn't sure the tinkerer was telling him _all_ of the story.

Leo looked at his palm, a look of concentration in his features. Suddenly, a flame ignited in Leo's hand. With a yelp, Frank scrambled back, kicking up sand onto the two others. Leo set the fire on the pile Nico had made.

"Hey!" What do you think you're doing with my candelabra?!" a girl's voice yelled down the shore.

* * *

 **(Sneaky POV change says, 'YoU dId NoT sEe Me!')**

 **Piper didn't know much about marketplaces** in Ritlad, but she knew they usually didn't have shadowy figures. As soon as the charmspeaker woke up, Jason and she noticed a very tired looking Reyna.

"Hey," she croaked, the knight wincing at her most likely raw throat. "I had to lend some magic to a friend to get us here." She waved dejectedly to a pegasus who was flying away in the sky. "Scipio helped get us down here safely, but three people was a lot for him, not to mention I was just unconscious." Piper smiled, glad her friend was alright. Jason had gotten up and was already looking around.

"What the hell is this place?" he asked. Piper shook her head, at a loss. A large shack stood in the middle of a clearing in the woods, the door slightly open. A shadow laughed and stood in the door. Reyna had confused smile on, shakily standing up.

"Come on, guys! It'll be fun!" she coaxed, waving rapidly towards the figure with a glaze over her eyes.

* * *

 **That's it, folks!**

 **When writing the description for the Boreads, I had so much trouble. How do you take modern-day fashion catastrophes and make them medieval-time fashion catastrophes? Plus, I didn't have my Lost Hero book because someone is borrowing it. Well, I hope I did okay on that... Also I am not happy with Leo's fire reveal, but I couldn't figure another way, so I might come back to it.**

 **And if you read the last post, which was an authors note, you will notice that the quotes are not in order, because that was the amount of trickery I could add in... *sigh* Also, you'll notice that one of the quotes was not used. Sorry. Whenever I was choosing which quotes to show you, I accident took one from a scene that I did for later on, because it was a good idea in hindsight. I'm also trying to not take the story so fast, because as I have said before, I have some ama-zhang ideas for Leo and Nico, and surprisingly, Jason.**

 **Did you like the POV change? I'm not sure it'll be a regular thing, so enjoy it while you can! I mean, this one was more like a preview... (: And did you think that was a battle scene. Haha, nope. You'll have to wait till next chapter.**

 **Sorry for changing Calypso's island so much, I just was really sad with the way it was described in the books. I just made it feel a lot more like something out of a fantasy book, which I think turned out pretty well. As for why I'm introducing Calypso so soon, you'll find out soon... whether it's a good or bad thing... (I have too much power as an author, sorry...)**

 **IMPORTANT- I won't be able to write next week because I won't have wifi, so I don't know when the next chapter will be.**

 **I promise on my immortal soul, I don't own PJO or HOO.**

 **Questions? Comments? Concerns?**


	11. Super Important AN (PLZ read!)

If you follow me and have checked some of my other stories, you might already know the news.

I'm moving to Wattpad. Now, this is a decision I have spent a lot of time pondering, since it seemed that I never had enough time to just sit down and write. With Wattpad, I can edit and write much easier on the go.

Which means more chapters for you.

I'm sorry if this dramatically affects you in some way, but I think it would be best, as an author, to give you more stories.

Anyways, for those of you who have been waiting for a chapter forever, a new one is already posted over on Wattpad.

I hope to see you there!

Wattpad account-

ThatAwkwardGirl

gopower321

If you have any questions on this change, you can PM me.


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